MEDIA RELEASES

AIJAC praises government’s new foreign policy announcements as “courageous, measured and principled”

Oct 16, 2018

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne outline the Federal Government's decisions
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne outline the Federal Government's decisions

Media Release

 

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) has welcomed the new foreign policy announcements made today by Prime Minister Scott Morrison – regarding Jerusalem, UN voting, policy toward Iran and upgrading defence ties with Israel – calling them “courageous, measured and principled.”

AIJAC National Chairman Mark Leibler said “recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital – something the government now says it is seriously considering – would right a longstanding injustice, as Israel is the only state in the world which the international community insists has no right to choose its own capital. West Jerusalem, where the Knesset and the other main organs of the Israeli government are located, has been sovereign Israeli territory since 1948. No one doubts that any negotiated two-state peace agreement would see Jerusalem remain as Israel’s capital.”

Dr Colin Rubenstein, AIJAC’s Executive Director, argued “Australia’s bipartisan policy of supporting a two state peace would be better served by recognising the simple fact that Jerusalem is and has been Israel’s capital, and not submitting to Palestinian threats and extortion. Not only the US but a number of other countries, including Russia, the Czech Republic, Vanuatu and Guatemala, now acknowledge this incontrovertible reality.”

“Equally important,” Dr. Rubenstein said “is the commitment to review Australian policy toward Iran. Frankly, our current policy of adherence to the JCPOA nuclear deal is not serving Australia’s most basic national interests, given both the opposition of the US Administration and most Arab states to it, and the reality that its provisions all but guarantee a nuclear-armed Iran in a few years time. Australia needs to develop a new policy toward Iran which forthrightly addresses the threat posed by an increasingly belligerent, expansionist and irresponsible Iran, the world’s foremost terror-sponsoring state – including working with Washington and others to take advantage of the Iranian regime’s increasing vulnerability to sanctions in strengthening the flawed nuclear deal and forcing change to the regime’s threatening rogue behaviour.”

“We also of course welcome the upgrading of defence ties – including the exchange of defence attachés – between Australia and Israel,” Rubenstein added.

AIJAC’s Director of International Affairs, Jeremy Jones commented “We are also very pleased to see the government reviewing its stance on UN voting concerning the Middle East.  Far too many of the resolutions on the Middle East passed by the UN General Assembly are not only one-sided and biased, but unhelpful and counterproductive to achieving a just and lasting peace. While Australia’s voting record has generally acknowledged this, our bipartisan policy goals would be better served by voting ‘no’ on some of the resolutions on which Australia currently abstains.”

Mark Leibler concluded by stating “These new Australian foreign policy announcements are courageous, measured and principled and most welcome. We look forward to the results of the government’s reviews of its policies on Iran and Jerusalem.”

For additional information, contact Dr. Colin Rubenstein on (0418)-339-721 or AIJAC on (03)-9681-6660.

Tags: ,

RELATED ARTICLES


Image: Twitter

AIJAC welcomes Federal Court judgment in Brighton Secondary College antisemitism case

Sep 14, 2023 | Featured, Media Releases
Image: Shutterstock

AIJAC welcomes announcement of additional Australian sanctions on Iran

Sep 13, 2023 | Featured, Media Releases
Jeremy Jones

AIJAC “utterly devastated” by the passing of our colleague Jeremy Jones

Sep 6, 2023 | Featured, Media Releases
Image: Twitter

AIJAC acknowledges ALP Conference decision to continue status quo on Israel and Palestinians 

Aug 18, 2023 | Featured, Media Releases
Image: CPAC

AIJAC calls on CPAC to end sponsorship by controversial fundraising platform

Aug 18, 2023 | Featured, Media Releases

AIJAC “profoundly disappointed” with new Government stance on West Bank, settlements

Aug 8, 2023 | Featured, Media Releases

SIGN UP FOR AIJAC EMAILS

RECENT POSTS

Israeli tanks in the Sinai Desert, 1973 (Image: Public domain)

From 1973 to Israel’s next war

Image001

The Last Word: Jeremy Jones – In Memoriam

Clinton appreciated Netanyahu’s political skills, but the two were divided over some key policy issues, leading to a tense relationship (Image: Shutterstock)

Essay: Bibi’s seven presidents

Destined to be an iconic landmark: The new National Library of Israel (Image: Herzog & De Meuron/ National Library of Israel/ Twitter)

Biblio File: Unique monument for the “People of the Book”

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah (Image: Shutterstock)

Deconstruction Zone: US outreach vs. Iranian aggression

Israeli tanks in the Sinai Desert, 1973 (Image: Public domain)

From 1973 to Israel’s next war

Image001

The Last Word: Jeremy Jones – In Memoriam

Clinton appreciated Netanyahu’s political skills, but the two were divided over some key policy issues, leading to a tense relationship (Image: Shutterstock)

Essay: Bibi’s seven presidents

Destined to be an iconic landmark: The new National Library of Israel (Image: Herzog & De Meuron/ National Library of Israel/ Twitter)

Biblio File: Unique monument for the “People of the Book”

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah (Image: Shutterstock)

Deconstruction Zone: US outreach vs. Iranian aggression

SORT BY TOPICS